While not a Canadian invention (sorry, Jim Cameron!), we received a heads up about Gimpel 3D, a new freeware 2D/3D conversion program. Written by René Gimpel, it is more advanced than anything we have seen before without the need for a licensing fee or subscription.

It's not a simple point and click conversion, though. It requires following a series of steps and choosing a mix of conversion methods depending on the image complexity. Unfortunately, it is also limited to anaglyph viewing while going through a conversion process, but it will export side by side images when needed. If they could get an interlaced or shutter glasses editing mode working, this would be one killer app for amateur converters out there!

Partial YouTube Tutorial

Key Gimpel3D features include:

Wide selection of tools allow for any level of detail.

Easy construction of regular geometry using Auto-Alignment.

Complex scenes can be modeled once and re-used.

Surfaces can have physical contour and/or relief texturing.

Custom models and/or depth maps can be applied selectively.

Realtime anaglyph stereo view provides immediate visual feedback.

Objects and stereo settings can be animated and keyframed.

Multiple options for gap-fill and post-processing.

Transfer edits between varying resolutions.

Can import data to leverage existing pipelines and/or content.

Can also be used as a start-to-finish solution.

Extensive help documentation and examples.

Please give it a try, and share your results in our forums and MTBS gallery!